I saw the movie "Twister." It was hair-raising. Even for a guy with not much hair to raise. But I kept telling myself, "It's just a story. Special effects."

What happened to the Weather Channel's Mike Bettes last week wasn't some computer-generated fantasy. The tornado they were chasing took an unexpected turn, picked up their vehicle and threw it some 200 yards.

The vehicle was flattened. Thankfully, Mike and his crew weren't. Some scratches, a couple of broken bones - but, amazingly, they're alive.